Mobile field fountain



C. B. MORGAN MOBILE FIELD FOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 14, 1963 July 1964 INVENTOR,

CARLTON MORGAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,142,443 MUBILE FIELD FOUNTAIN Carlton B. Morgan, High St., Holliston, Mass. Filed Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,329 4 Claims. (Cl. 239-24) This invention concerns a mobile field fountain.

Fountains of the instant type are normally self-contained units designed to be trundled quickly onto the playing field during temporary interruptions in the play of sporting contests to provide refreshment for the players. They comprise generally a wheeled tank for holding a supply of water under pressure and they are fitted with a pipe extending from the inside bottom of the outside top of the tank and terminating at its upper end in one or more valve controlled nozzles through which water may issue under tank pressure.

One difliculty with prior fountains of the type with which this invention is concerned was that the water pressure at the nozzles depended upon the volume of water in the tank in that the pressure of the water at the nozzles decreased when the tank pressure decreased as the water level in the tank went down. Resultantly, after a fountain had been in use for only a relatively short period of time the water streams issuing from its nozzles became too weak or small to drink conveniently, and sometimes they disappeared entirely. Attempts were made to solve the foregoing difliculty by fitting the tank with a small air pump for introducing air under pressure into the tank as needed. While this succeeded in maintaining constant water pressure at the nozzles, considerable time and elfort were spent pumping air into the tank initially and further pumping to maintain constant water pressure and thereby constant streams for drinking as the level of Water in the tank went down.

Another problem with prior portable fountains was that they could not provide a forceful jet or spray of water for refreshing the players externally, at least not while simultaneously affording them a suitable stream of drinking water. Whenever the spray nozzle was turned on, the water pressure in the system went down causing the stream issuing from the drinking nozzle to drop drastically or disappear entirely.

And drinking fountains heretofore were trundled over the ground on their wheels only with difficulty because they were not properly balanced. The carrying wheels were too small and were located too far below and aft of the center of gravity of the unit. As a result, when the unit was upright the entire weight of the water therein contributed to a moment about the wheel axles opposing efior-ts to tilt the fountain to the trundling position. Yet when the fountain was tilted back on its wheels only slightly from the upright position, the center of gravity of the unit shifted over the axles drastically so that substantially the entire weight of the water in the tank tended to tip the fountain over, thus opposing efforts to maintain the fountain in its inclined trundling position.

Accordingly, this invention aims to provide a mobile drinking fountain especially for field use which requires only a single initial charge of compressed air, yet from which water for drinking will issue in one or more streams which remain constant despite fluctuations in the water level in the tank. The invention seeks also to provide such fountain which can supply a forceful jet or spray of water simultaneously with, yet without significant loss of pressure to the water streams issuing from the drinking nozzles. Especially, this invention seeks to provide a field fountain which one person can trundle easily over the ground.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view in perspective of my improved portable drinking fountain;

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FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the fountain of FIG. 1, with portions cut away;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the fountain of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, my improved drinking fountain comprises an upstanding cylindrical tank 10 suitable for holding a relatively large supply of water under pressure. For the generality of uses the chamber-forming wall of such tank may be single; for other uses, as in some geographical areas, the tank 10 may be of a doublewalled variety with an insulating air space sufficient to maintain the liquid in the tank at a nearly constant temperature for seven or eight hours or more. Tank 10 is mounted centrally in a generally U-shaped frame member 11 whose U-arms terminate in a like pair of side extensions l-la in which are mounted a like pair of valvecontrolled drinking nozzles 12.

A first valve-controlled fluid inlet is provided in a wall, herein the front wall, of tank 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the first fluid inlet comprises a faucet 13 having its inner side or throat coupled to a fluid-tight fitting 14 passing through the front wall of tank 10 and thence to an open-ended generally L-shaped pipe 15 extending within and almost to the bottom of tank 10. The mouth or outer side of faucet 13 is threaded, for example internally for reception of the male end of a standard garden hose, adapting it for connection to a suitable source of water such as the city Water supply, which water is introduced into tank 10 through fitting 14 and pipe extension 15. After tank 10 is filled with Water to the desired level, the faucet 13 valve may be closed and the mouth disconnected from the water supply. With the faucet provision as in the mentioned example requirement for special hose connection with double female ends is eliminated.

The throat of faucet 13 is coupled also through one branch of a T-shaped pipe 16, FIGS. 1 and 2, to the inlet side of a first fluid pressure control means 17 to be described more particularly hereinafter. The outlet side of control means 17 is connected to the lower end of an upwardly extending pipe 18 which divides at its upper end into side extending portions 18a, each of which extends to and is connected to the inlet of a nozzle 12. Also, if desired, the upper end of pipe 18 at the junction of pipe portions 18a, may be fitted with an outlet 19 (shown with a closing cap) suitable for connecting to a remote spray or drinking nozzle (not shown).

Under the invention, a second valve-controlled fluid inlet is provided in a wall, herein the top wall, of tank 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the second inlet comprises a conventional spring-biased air valve 20 such as is found on automobile tires, for example, and which is adapted to be connected to a source of compressed air for charging tank 16 with air under a pressure substantially greater than atmospheric. This air subjects the water within tank 10 to a pressure substantially greater than atmospheric so that even if the tank pressure decreases as the water level goes down in use, such pressure will still remain considerably above atmospheric and, when desired, above that normally found in the conventional city water supply. The pressure within tank Ill may be observed quickly by means of a pressure gage 21 mounted in the top wall of thetank. When the tank pressure reaches the desired value, valve 29 may be disconnected from the air source.

A safety valve 22 mounted in the rear wall of tank 10 is adapted to relieve any potentially dangerous excess pressure.

Further in accordance with this invention, the water pressure at drinking nozzles 12 is kept constant despite fluctuations in tank pressure caused by falling water level. This is herein accomplished by means of the mentioned first fluid pressure control means 17 connected in the water supply line to nozzles 12. Such control means 17 may comprise a conventional pressure regulator such as, for example, a metering or reducing valve. It should, however, have an accessible adjustment 23 for selecting the desired water pressure to be maintained at nozzles 12. When properly adjusted, control means 17 will be understood to reduce the pressure of the water flowing from the tank to the nozzles 12 to a value appreciably above atmospheric, yet also considerably less than the tank pressure so that the water pressure at nozzles 12 will remain below tank pressure, even when the tank pressure decreases as the water level falls in use.

Thus, so long as there is water in tank 10, the strength or height of the upwardly directed streams of water issuing from drinking nozzles 12 remains independent of and unaffected by the level of water in tank 10.

A preferred embodiment of my improved fountain has also means for refreshing the players externally with a forcible jet or spray of cool water without interrupting or affecting the full fiow of water from drinking nozzles 12. Such means as illustrated comprises more particularly a valve-controlled spray nozzle 24 connected to one end of a relatively long flexible hose 25, the other end of which is connected to the upper end of a vertical pipe 26 running down the outside of tank 10. The lower end of pipe 26 is coupled to the outlet of a second fluid pressure control means 27 whose inlet is coupled to the remaining branch of T-shaped pipe 16, communicating with the interior of tank 10.

The second control means 27 is similar to the first control means 17 except that it is adjusted to supply water to spray nozzle 24 under a pressure below tank pressure yet appreciably above the water pressure at drinking nozzles 12. This adjustment will be understood to permit a steady high-pressure jet or spray of water to issue from nozzle 24 but to maintain the water pressure in pipe 16 at the inlet sides of control means 17 and 27 at all times above the setting of control means 17. Accordingly pressure fluctuation in pipe 16 caused by openings and closing of nozzle 24 while nozzles 12 are open, have minimal fluctuation effect on the water streams issuing from drinking nozzles 12 and effective operation of the machine is maintained even though a plurality of valves may be simultaneously in flow status off of one pressure control.

Further and in accordance with this invention, the tank 10 is fitted with a balancing wheel assembly which supports the unit for easy trundling over the ground. The wheel assembly comprises in the illustrated embodiment a pair of sideways extending inverted U-shaped wheel support members 28, each secured along one U-arm thereof to the aft side of a U-arm of frame 11. A pair of matched large-diameter wheels 29, which may be conventional 28-inch diameter bicycle wheels, for example, are rotatively mounted at the lower ends of members 28. The proper mounting of the wheel assembly on tank 10 places the treads or tires of wheels 25 below the bottom of frame member 11, and a forwardly projecting foot or stand 32 is secured to the underside of tank 10 to provide with the two wheels 29 a three point support for the tank in its upright position.

Each member 28 is herein strengthened by a U-shaped reinforcing strap 30 extending around behind the corresponding wheel 29 and secured at its ends to the opposite U-arms of the member 28. And a generally U-shaped rearwardly extending handle 31 is mounted on the outside U-arms of wheel support members 28 in a line generally parallel with the wheel axles, to facilitate moving the drinking fountain over the ground.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the wheel axles about which the tank 10 pivots when it is tilted from its upright to its inclined trundling position are positioned slightly aft the center of gravity of the unit providing the necessary moment of force for maintaining the tank in its upright position. Yet it will be understood that this force moment is kept small so that the fountain can be easily tilted back on its wheels by one person. Additionally, the locating of the pivot points or wheel axles substantially upwardly from the bottom of tank 10, fairly close to the center of gravity of the fountain, tends to balance the unit so that when it is tilted back on wheels 29 the weight distribution above the pivot points tending to upset the fountain is somewhat compensated by an opposing weight distribution below the pivot points, greatly reducing the effort required of the operator to maintain the fountain in its inclined position for trundling over the ground.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiments thereof illustrated and described herein, and I set forth its scope in my following claims.

I claim:

1. A mobile field fountain comprising: an upstanding tank suitable for holding a supply of water under pressure; wheels mounted on and for carrying said tank; a first valve-controlled fluid inlet in a wall of said tank, said inlet adapted to be coupled to a source of water under pressure for introducing water into said tank; a second valve-controlled fluid inlet in a wall of said tank, said second inlet adapted to be coupled to a source of compressed air for rapidly charging said tank with air at a pressure substantially above atmospheric; a valve-controlled drinking nozzle associated with said tank and fluid conduit means extending from the inside of said tank near the bottom thereof to said nozzle, said conduit means including a fluid-pressure control means for maintaining the water at said nozzle at a constant pressure appreciably above atmospheric yet considerably below the pressure of the water in said tank whereby when said tank is partially filled with water and charged with air, water from said tank issues from said nozzle upon the opening thereof in a constant upwardly directed stream even as the fluid pressure within said tank decreases as the water level in said tank goes down; and a valve controlled spray nozzle associated with said tank; second fluid conduit means communicating between the inside of said tank and said spray nozzle, said second conduit means including second fluid pressure control means for maintaining the water at said spray nozzle at a constant pressure appreciably above said water pressure at said drinking nozzle yet below the air pressure in said tank whereby steady forceful jets of water issue from said spray nozzle upon the opening thereof without reducing the strength of the water stream issuing from said drinking nozzle.

2. A mobile drinking fountain comprising a frame: a tank mounted on said frame, a faucet mounted through a wall of said tank, said faucet having an inlet coupled to an open-ended pipe extending substantially to the bottom of said tank, said faucet having also a threaded outer side adapted to be connected to a water supply for introducing water into said tank; an air valve mounted through a wall of said tank, said air valve adapted to be connected to a source of compressed air for charging said tank with air at a pressure substantially above atmospheric; a plurality of valve-controlled drinking nozzles mounted on said frame; fluid conduit means communicating between the inner side of said faucet and said drinking nozzles, said conduit means including an adjustable pressure reducing valve; a pair of matched large-diameter wheels rotatively mounted on said frame at opposite sides of said tank, said wheels extending below said tank and having a common horizontal axis of rotation located substantially upwardly from the bottom of said tank, said axis being offset but slightly aft of the vertical center line of said tank; a handle secured to said frame also aft of said center line; and a rigid foot secured to the underside of said tank at a location forwardly of said center line, said foot extending below said tank to a point level with the ground-engaging portions of said wheels when the tank is erect on a horizontal surface.

3. A mobile drinking fountain as defined in claim 2 including a valve controlled spray nozzle associated with said tank and a flexible hose connected to said spray nozzle and communicating with the interior of said tank.

4. A mobile drinking fountain comprising a frame: a tank mounted on said frame, a pair of matched largediameter pneumatic-tired wheels such as bicycle wheels rotatively mounted on said frame at opposite sides of said tank, said wheels extending below said tank and having a common horizontal axis of rotation located substantially upwardly from the bottom of said tank, said axis being oflset but slightly aft of the vertical center line of said tank; a handle secured to said frame also aft of said center line; and a rigid foot secured to the underside of said tank at a location forwardly of said center line, said foot extending below said tank to a point level with the ground-engaging portions of said wheels when the tank is erect on a horizontal surface; an inlet for supplying water into the tank to a point adjacent the bottom; an inlet and valve means for charging air under above-atmospheric pressure into the tank above the water supplied to it; and

water dispensing outlet means externally carried on the tank and having a connection between the tank interior adjacent the lowermost level of the water supply, said connection including fluid pressure control means to maintain at the outlet means a substantially constant outflow-presure from the tank whereby dispensing flow is maintained uniformly despite decrease in the water level within the tank and in the presence of said erect positioning of the tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,251 Hill Aug. 13, 1901 910,204 Jorgenson Jan. 19, 1909 1,563,609 Zerk Dec. 1, 1925 1,815,476 Leffel July 21, 1931 2,238,093 Brandt Apr. 15, 1941 2,490,839 Shaffer et al. Dec. 13, 1949 2,621,073 Behrens Dec. 9, 1952 2,948,476 Don Aug. 9, 1960 

4. A MOBILE DRINKING FOUNTAIN COMPRISING A FRAME: A TANK MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF MATCHED LARGE DIAMETER PNEUMATIC-TIRED WHEELS SUCH AS BICYCLE WHEELS ROTATIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TANK, SAID WHEELS EXTENDING BELOW SAID TANK AND HAVING A COMMON HORIZONTAL AXIS OF ROTATION LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK, SAID AXIS BEING OFFSET BUT SLIGHTLY AFT OF THE VERTICAL CENTER LINE OF SAID TANK; A HANDLE SECURED TO SAID FRAME ALSO AFT OF SAID CENTER LINE; AND A RIGID FOOT SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID TANK AT A LOCATION FORWARDLY OF SAID CENTER LINE, SAID FOOT EXTENDING BELOW SAID TANK TO A POINT LEVEL WITH THE GROUND-ENGAGING PORTIONS OF SAID WHEELS WHEN THE TANK IS ERECT ON A HORIZONTAL SURFACE; AN INLET FOR SUPPLYING WATER INTO THE TANK TO A POINT ADJACENT THE BOTTOM; AN INLET AND VALVE MEANS FOR CHARGING AIR UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE INTO THE TANK ABOVE THE WATER SUPPLIED TO IT; AND WATER DISPENSING OUTLET MEANS EXTERNALLY CARRIED ON THE TANK AND HAVING A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TANK INTERIOR ADJACENT THE LOWERMOST LEVEL OF THE WATER SUPPLY, SAID CONNECTION INCLUDING FLUID PRESSURE CONTROL MEANS TO MAINTAIN AT THE OUTLET MEANS A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT OUTFLOW-PRESSURE FROM THE TANK WHEREBY DISPENSING FLOW IS MAINTAINED UNIFORMLY DESPITE DECREASE IN THE WATER LEVEL WITHIN THE TANK AND IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID ERECT POSITIONING OF THE TANK. 